Slipped from my Grasp
by PenFromTheAshes
Summary: It's the end of Mark of Athena. On the edge of a cliff, Percy desperately holds onto Annabeth. But it's been a stressful day, and hands are sweaty. Slippery. What happens when Annabeth falls? Short, complete story told in free verse, and rated K for very minor description of blood, just in case.


**/Author's Note\  
So don't worry, I haven't given up on ****_Greek Time Turner_** **I just needed a break.  
And I like free verse poetry.  
so there.  
Enjoy!**

Slipped from My Grasp

 **Annabeth:**

I looked at his eyes.  
Sea green  
there is no green  
in Tartarus  
I will miss him.

I let go.  
his hand is sweaty  
I slip  
he grabs at air  
hair  
in my face  
nothing to see  
anyways  
just his face  
staring down at me  
not looking away.

 **Percy:**

How did it ever come to this?  
this  
is torture  
All I ever needed  
was ripped  
from my arms  
ripped  
forever gone.

She is falling.  
darkness is grabbing  
at her arms  
angel of night  
I might never  
see her  
again.

No.  
I stand up  
shaky ground  
but  
that doesn't matter because  
I  
am going  
after her.

Nico is yelling.  
screaming words  
but  
words will not penetrate  
because  
only Annabeth  
matters now.

 **Nico:**

I can't believe it.  
he jumped  
Percy jumped  
and now he is falling  
faster than I shout  
and the shadows swallow him too.

Hazel climbs back down.  
she looks around and  
she knows  
she knows from my face  
which is caved in  
caved like the ground  
we need to go.

 **Jason:**

It's my fault.  
my fault my fault  
not Frank's  
he says so  
but it is not  
his  
nothing  
like this  
could be because of him.

I am left.  
left with a statue  
stupid, stupid thing  
left with five shocked demigods  
who are looking  
at me.

Look away, then.  
I never wanted to lead  
not at this cost  
no, no  
nothing we can do  
but go  
fly, Leo, fly.

 **Annabeth:**

It is a long way down.  
still haven't reached the bottom  
whooshing air  
screaming in my ears  
there is no one  
for me to scream to.

I will probably break my neck.  
this is  
after all  
break-neck speed  
ah well  
Percy is safer.

 **Percy:**

This is not safe.  
I don't care  
but  
for all I know  
she has hit  
the bottom-  
no  
don't think like that  
it is so dark  
she could be right in front of me.

It is so dark.  
dark like  
the Midnight Zone  
deepest part of the sea  
almost like  
I am drowning  
stop  
I can breathe  
Percy, calm down  
I can breathe.

 **Nico:**

I am sitting in his spot.  
the head of the table  
where Annabeth sits  
is  
left alone  
I didn't want to  
sit here  
but I came in last  
I wish I could just stand.

Leo finished eating first.  
he leaves quickly  
to work  
keep his mind off things,  
I bet  
I wish I had a job, too.

 **Jason:**

We need repairs.  
this ship is messed up  
messed up  
like me-  
like  
Percy's brain must have been  
. . . but if Piper was falling  
would I  
have done the same?

I think I would.  
but  
is it the same  
since I can fly,  
get us out  
like I wish I could have done  
for them?

 **Annabeth:**

I need a plan.  
something  
to keep me busy  
while I fall  
and safe  
when I land.

But what can I plan for?  
nobody  
has ever been to Tartarus  
before  
I will be  
the first demigod to walk those grounds  
if I survive.

 **Percy:**

I am falling fast.  
I need to fall faster  
still faster  
to reach Annabeth  
and maybe kiss  
or hug  
one that might  
be our last.

At least we would be together.  
and when we die  
we will never be apart  
never  
not if I could help it.

 **Nico:**

We have the statue!  
should make people happy  
it did  
for five seconds  
but then the memory  
the realization  
comes to mind.

They constantly ask me.  
not with words  
but glances  
I respond:  
"No."  
They're still going  
and that fact  
keeps us going.

 **Jason:**

I hate seeing everyone so downcast.  
it hurts  
nobody talks about it  
but I can tell  
it's all they think about.

It's all I think about.  
Occasionally,  
Leo jokes  
just to get me to smile  
it worked  
once  
this morning  
then I remembered.

 **Annabeth:**

The dark surrounds me.  
I try to breathe  
but  
the air is so thick  
so warm  
so hot  
I cough  
again and again  
never ending  
I can't stop.

I hear a shout.  
"Annabeth!"  
imagination  
an echo  
a memory  
nothing is real anymore  
and perfect  
does not exist.

 **Percy:**

I know I heard her.  
coughing  
gasping  
choking  
I shouted  
but  
I doubt she heard me  
I hope she's alright.

Who am I kidding?  
we are falling  
into the abyss  
stupid me  
nobody is alright.

 **Nico:**

I don't know who has it worse.  
When I went  
through that place  
I was alone  
alone  
very alone  
but Annabeth has Percy  
gods, he jumped after her  
they'll be fine  
together.

We stick to the air.  
flying is safer  
with Jason on board  
than the sea  
without  
a son of Poseidon.

 **Jason:**

What are we supposed to do?  
Leo  
has almost fixed the ship  
then we will move on  
physically  
not mentally  
no-  
not yet.

Have they even landed?  
how deep  
can it possibly go  
eventually it would end  
in Tartarus  
and they will keep going  
if they can.

We hope.

 **Annabeth:**

I lost my dagger.  
if I land safely  
I will have no weapon  
weaponless  
hatless  
and Percy-less  
vulnerable  
to whatever is down there.

I hate  
hate  
hate this feeling so much  
I can't I can't  
I'd moan but  
somewhere I know that  
if I land soon  
I want to take them by surprise  
gain a few seconds to run  
or fight  
so I stay silent.

 **Percy:**

I can't hear her anymore.  
I'm agitated  
tense  
stressed  
if I had a light  
a flashlight-  
 _Riptide._

I pull out the pen.  
uncapped,  
it shines  
I can see my hands  
bloodied  
arms scratched  
scarred  
but no Annabeth.

 **Nico:**

Mostly I stay on the deck.  
I'm on hand when  
harpies attack  
screeching  
flapping their wings  
it's a good outlet.

Hazel and I fight back to back.  
she is getting better  
sword swinging  
shouting  
laughing in relief  
when they are gone.

It is good to see her like this.  
content  
vigorous  
her face shining  
man, my sister is beautiful  
Frank comes out  
smiles  
smiling for once  
it is good to forget.

 **Jason:**

There are choices to make.  
east  
back to the camps  
or west  
to Greece  
 _pick one,_ he says  
Do I have to choose?

The camps must work together.  
if we want to defeat  
Gaea,  
that is-  
but  
Percy and Annabeth  
the giants-  
I don't know  
I'd like to pass this one  
someone else  
more qualified  
they,  
not me,  
should decide.

 **Annabeth:**

There is a light.  
It shines  
blinding at first  
slowly  
my eyes adjust  
lightly blue  
and tinged silver.

Wait.  
I recognize it-  
I think  
no, it can't be  
Nonononono  
stupid  
no  
of course he followed me.

 **Percy:**

The light is nice.  
not quite enough  
darkness  
glares at me  
just outside my bubble of light  
I hold my sword tightly  
even if  
it's magic and will return,  
I don't know how long it will take  
to come back  
so I hold it  
the way I wish  
I could hold Annabeth.

 **Nico:**

It's my shift again.  
with Hazel  
and Leo  
it's almost always  
Leo's shift  
He doesn't stop working  
I stare ahead  
up in the crow's nest  
"Hard to port!"  
boulders flying  
Hazel shouts, ducks, safe but-  
 _CRACK!_  
I fall.

"Nico!"  
I'm fine  
the mast isn't  
crushed into thousands of splinters  
a good hundred of which  
are sticking out of me  
Leo yells  
"That's the third time I've replaced  
that mast!  
You think they grow on trees?"

"Masts _are_ from trees."  
Leo grumbles at that  
then  
aims the cannon  
fires  
and we fly faster  
away from the _numina._

 **Jason:**

The days are flying by.  
flying faster than us  
so painstakingly slow  
tedious  
dragging  
We meet in the mess hall  
everyone tired  
especially Hazel- she was driving  
last night  
since she met Hecate,  
she  
knows the path  
or something.

Piper is still upstairs.  
with  
Coach Hedge  
chaperoning the chaperone  
while we listen  
to Nico.

 **Annabeth:**

He's above me.  
Don't know how far  
but  
close enough  
for me to see his light.

I'm worried.  
terrified  
because  
even if  
we catch up  
what will happen?

There is more light.  
red  
fiery  
from below  
I'm falling closer  
I can see  
but…  
this?  
I don't want to see.

 **Percy:**

I can see.  
and  
the farther I fall  
the more light  
more fire  
more  
danger.

I look around.  
studying  
gazing  
then I see  
blonde hair  
falling  
she looks up  
eyes wide  
and cries.

I reach out.  
falling vertically  
diving  
she reaches up for me  
hands brush  
this time  
I don't miss  
hug her tight  
never let go again.

 **Nico:**

"I communed with the dead last night."  
they listen  
Frank mentions  
his grandma  
who respected ancestors  
I tell them the plan  
House of Hades  
but it would be dangerous.

They understood.  
there'd be a guy  
 _Clytius_  
Anti-Hecate  
Leo mentioned his dream  
but-good news!  
Fire is his weakness-  
Then  
everything came crashing down  
on top of me.

 **Jason:**

We were interrupted.  
One minute  
planning  
the next  
dwarfs  
 _Argo_ lurches  
Instead of Camp,  
the walls display a nose  
we share glances  
run up the stairs.

Leo yelled.  
just enough time to  
duck  
cover my ears  
before they blasted a grenade  
the dwarfs grabbed more things  
sticky fingers  
worse than Mercury's kids  
than left.

I ungagged Piper.  
"Don't  
waste your time on me!  
go after  
 _them!"  
_ I peer  
over the edge  
Leo turns to me  
"I need a lift"  
still feeling woozy  
dizzy  
but  
here we go  
all in a day's work, I guess  
it feels so good  
just  
to be distracted.

The End 


End file.
